


Episode Two: Silver Scales

by TheFoil



Series: Adventures of Fei Tahn [2]
Category: Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2008) - All Media Types
Genre: Action/Adventure, Family Feels, Gen, Little bit of blood n gore
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-01-05
Updated: 2018-01-28
Packaged: 2019-02-28 12:55:04
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 5
Words: 9,584
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13271874
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheFoil/pseuds/TheFoil
Summary: It’s just a routine checkup. Nothing serious. How are the locals handling governing themselves? Fei Tahn takes a lone gunship down to the surface of a recently won planet only to be shot down by separatists. With only Ahsoka, Rex and the rest of a small squad, Fei’s forces are quickly felled by Grievous’s superior numbers. Fei quickly reaches a final decision, much to the distress of her three remaining men, but a decision she knows will save lives.





	1. Chapter One

“That is an order!” Fei shouted to her three remaining men, commanding them to retreat without her. They were completely surrounded. She knew they couldn’t all escape, but Grievous seemed to really have it in for her, so maybe she could pose as a distraction and buy her men enough time to escape and call for help.  
“But!..” Ahsoka tried to argue, nearly on the verge of tears after the demolition of her entire squad, and now her master’s sacrifice.  
“Padawan! You will leave me here! Now!” Fei commanded, her voice raised to a level her subordinates had rarely heard. “Take Rex and Daz and get out of here. That is an order! Do not make me repeat myself!” She paused, her shoulders sagging for a moment. Her eyes suddenly softened, even as the metallic clanking of droids’ footfalls and Grievous’s feral growl could be heard approaching from only a corridor over. “Please,” she said. She turned to her captain, looking up to the window of his helmet, but saw only her own reflection. “Keep them safe,” she said. “I’ll draw the enemy away, but you’ve got to go get help.” Rex gave a curt nod, but didn’t trust his voice not to quiver, so he chose to remain silent. He simply took Ahsoka’s wrist and pulled her around the next corner as the droid battalion turned down the hallway toward the solo Jedi. Fei ignited her twin sabers as blaster fire came showering toward her. Rex quickly knelt down to the nearest ventilation shaft they came across and ripped the metal grate from its frame. “Go,” he said, ushering the near catatonic padawan into the tunnel and gave Daz a shove on the shoulder, then finally stepped through himself, pulling the grate back into place behind him.  
The three remaining soldiers of Fei’s squad crawled silently through the ventilation systems of the abandoned palace as blaster fire echoed through the halls. Fei deflected the droids’ blaster bolts with her dual sabers, effortlessly dancing around the blaster fire as she drew the army toward her. She began her retreat backwards as Grievous rounded the corner at the back of the march, surrounded by his dozen commando droids. She withdrew down the hallway one step at a time.  
“Fei Tahn,” Grievous roared across the hall, a smirk evident in his voice even if his metallic face couldn’t show it. “It’s always a pleasure to meet you in battle, but this time will be your last.”  
“That coming from the coward hiding behind his commando droids,” Fei retorted. “If this is truly to be my last battle, why don’t you meet me? Are you afraid I might take you down with me, even with the odds of a hundred battle droids to a single Jedi?”  
Grievous growled angrily. “Jedi scum,” he snarled as he pulled two of the many sabers holstered at his hips and ignited them for battle. He slowly made his way toward the front of the attack, finally sprinting toward the palace’s sole defender. Fei raised her sabers to block the separatist general’s forward attack. The sabers clashed, the blue and green glow illuminating both faces as each glared into the other’s eyes. Fei pushed Grievous off of her and continued her dancing steps backwards. They continued their spar until they reached the abandoned great hall, the towering gold ceiling and pillars opening up at the back to an expansive balcony. She dodged and weaved in between Grievous’s swings and brought her own lightsabers to meet his in a last clash of abrasive sound. She shoved him away and flung him back into his droids, pushing with the Force.  
She stepped back onto the long ivory pier extending out into the crystal blue sea. The bright sunshine and sea salty breeze touched her skin. She thought it odd how such a beautiful place could be the site of such hideous war. Her lightsabers trailed green light as she deflected the droids continuous volley of blaster fire. Grievous growled as he pushed himself up and reignited his sabers. He charged back toward the young Jedi, forcing her closer and closer to the precipice of the end of the pier. She glanced over the edge, looking at the ocean a hundred feet below. She gasped as she narrowly blocked a jab from the reptilian android, realizing that she was beginning to tire. Although she had denied it at the time, her gunship’s crash landing had taken a toll on her. Her sore left hip was beginning to hinder her and every breath was met with a short stab of pain, leading her to believe she might have a broken rib or two from the impact. She parried another jab and countered with her own blade, but Grievous expertly deflected her attack and managed to pull Fei off balance. She reeled backwards to avoid Grievous’ slash across her chest, tripping over her heel and falling onto the cold ivory floor. Grievous descended upon her, driving his lightsabers toward the fallen Jedi for a killing blow. She brought her own sabers up to block the attack. She recoiled away from him as Grievous leaned his face down toward her. “I’m glad I get to be the one to kill you, General Fei Tahn,” he smirked. “I’ll be sure to send Obi-Wan my condolences.”  
…  
Rex grunted as he kicked out a grate, finally releasing them from the maze of ventilation shafts they’d had to navigate to escape. He stuck his head out and scanned their surroundings to make sure they wouldn’t be noticed dropping down into the jungle below. “Oh no,” he gasped as he turned to see his general backed up to a hundred foot drop with Grievous clashed against her and an army of droids behind him.  
“What is it?” Ahsoka asked, panicked. She pushed herself up next to Rex to peek out of the small opening. “No,” she gasped. “No, no, NO! I knew we shouldn’t have left her. I knew it!” They sat in suspense, refusing to leave without knowing the fate of their loved leader.  
Fei gasped as one of the commando droids finally hit its mark, the bolt tearing through her chest as she still tried desperately to gain the upper hand against Grievous. She gasped as she clutched at the wound, reeling backwards. “Not immediately fatal. Missed the heard, but might be down a lung here soon,” she assessed herself, her mind racing in the head of battle. The commando droids were quickly stalking their way through the ranks to team up with Grievous against the lone Jedi. She continued deflecting blaster fire and avoiding Grievous’ attacks, but the android still had a few cheats up his sleeve. He laughed as he unhinged his second pair of limbs, reaching for a second set of sabers.  
“Ugh,” Fei grunted as she took down one of the nearing commando droids and parried another of Grievous’ blows. “You’re such a cheat.”  
Grievous laughed. “I’m just utilizing all of my resources.” Another bolt grazed Fei’s cheek, leaving a bright red streak. She was being overwhelmed. She countered another jab, but a metal claw came from nowhere, latching itself around Fei’s throat and lifting her from the ground. She gasped, but quickly acted, bringing her saber to slice away the metal holding her. Grievous, however, saw the attack coming and quickly grabbed both of her thin wrists. Again he laughed, happy he would finally be rid of perhaps his most fearsome rival. “Did I not say this battle would be your last?” Fei gave no response but a cry of pain as Grievous crushed her wrists to loosen her grip on her lightsabers. The great weapons fell to the ground with a soft clatter as she released the threaded hilts. “And what a fitting place for your death. The executioner’s stand of the government you overthrew to create a republic world, where rebels and criminals were shot and thrown into the sea… How about we do the same to you.” He gave a quick nod to his commando droids and slugged the woman in the stomach, then dropped her to the ground. He gave a swift kick to her head then stepped back to make way for his “executioners.”  
Fei stood slowly and came face to face with a squad of commando droids with their weapons aimed at her. Time seemed to slow down. Fei could feel her heart beat in her chest. The wind gently caressed her skin and lifted her hair to dance with the silver locks. She didn’t hear the initial firing of the blasters, but could see the dozen red bolts slowly racing toward her. She could already tell where each one would hit. She stumbled backwards in slow motion, preferring the hundred foot fall to the firing squad, but she could see it still could not be avoided. Three bullets hit their mark before Fei fell over the edge. The pain didn’t register immediately. The only sensation she felt was air rushing across her skin and the sickening feeling of gravity pulling her down to the sea below, then impact.  
Rex, Ahsoka, and Daz watched from a distance. They saw as the first red bolt tear through her chest. Ahsoka gasped, but continued to watch as Fei continued to fight. She only looked away when Grievous finally had their general by the throat. “No, no, no. Please no,” she cried. “We must help her!”  
Rex held her back as she turned to run back into the palace. “No, you heard the general’s orders. We need to find help… besides,” he started, his voice suddenly dropping. “There’s nothing we can do…” They watched as Grievous hit her and dropped her to the ground, then continued with a kick. “Bastard,” Rex muttered through gritted teeth. He clenched his fist as he saw the commando droids line up in formation against the lone woman. They all looked on as their leader stood, but was immediately cut down by a shower of blaster fire. Ahsoka cried out as she watched the Jedi master take the fire and fall over the edge of the pier and ultimately to her death a hundred feet below. She turned away before she could see Fei hit the water, but Rex refused to look away, giving his general at least the honor of having her death be known. It was only as her body sunk below the waves that he lowered his head in grief.  
“I’m sorry Ahsoka,” he said, a slight tremble in his voice. “But we need to go.” Tears streamed down her face as the young padawan looked up to the clone captain.  
“But… her… her body,” Ahsoka cried.  
“I know,” Rex said, his voice cracking. “But we have to follow her final orders. We can’t let her sacrifice go to waste.” Ahsoka wiped the tears from her eyes and steadied her trembling hands. The three soldiers dropped down into the green brush below and took off into the jungle, hoping to get away on one of the separatists ships with most of the droids preoccupied with Fei’s defeat.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading! I hope you enjoyed, and don't forget to leave your questions and comments. I'd love to hear it.


	2. Chapter 2

A young Twi’lek shuffled about in the shallow waters. It was getting dark, almost dusk, but she turned and saw her house was still nearby, a candle lantern hanging next to the door. She smiled and continued her splashing, running her hands along the bottom of the tide pool, searching for shellfish. She plucked another crab from its hiding place under a rock and dropped it in her plastic bucket. She looked up, out to sea, and saw the moon beginning to rise. The silver nightlight reflected off the shallow waves and the cool, nighttime breeze brushed passed her face, goosebumps starting to form on her violet skin. Suddenly she heard a splash. She looked up at the sound, but didn’t see much. It was getting dark. A shape suddenly pushed itself from the water. The young Twi’lek could only make out a silhouette, but she saw the figure push itself up over the ledge separating the shallow from the deep, and slide into a tide pool. It had a distinct head and arms, but a long tail followed it into the pool. The Twi’lek gasped.   
“Daddy! Daddy!” she yelled as she ran up to the house. She burst in through the door, but had to pause to adjust to the bright fire light inside the house.   
“Geez, what is it Harani?” her brother asked as he looked up from a book he was reading. He scowled at her as he put down his book and stood to see what his little sister needed.  
“Maeru! Where’s daddy?” the girl asked.  
“He’s out back, what’s wrong?” Maeru asked again.  
A tall male Twi’lek suddenly burst through the back door. “What is it Harani? What’s wrong?” their father asked.   
“Daddy! I just saw a mermaid! It jumped into one of the tide pools!” she exclaimed  
“Yeah right,” her brother scoffed.  
“I’m telling the truth!” Harani insisted.   
“Okay, okay, stop fighting,” their father intervened. “Now, Harani, what did you see? Are you sure it wasn’t just a fish?”  
“Well, not unless it was a really really big fish… Plus it had arms!” the girl exclaimed, waving her own about for dramatic effect.   
“Alright, we’ll go check it out.” He grabbed a lantern from the kitchen and lit the wick inside. “Let’s go.”  
The family of three all headed outside, both children lingering wearily behind their father now that they were out in the dark. “Which pool was it now?”  
“That one over there,” Harani pointed, and the three made their way to the pool Harani saw the creature slip into. The father carefully leaned over the pool, holding the lantern out over it and immediately noticed that something wasn’t right. At first he thought the discoloration of the pool might simply be the reflection of warm colors from the fire light in his hand, but soon realized he was mistaken. There was a dark red collecting at the bottom of the pool. A dark red that could only be blood.   
“Alright, well, there’s definitely something down there. And it’s injured,” The tall Twi’lek said as he set the lantern down on the edge of the pool. “Maeru, go get another lantern. And the herding crook while you’re at it.”  
“O-okay,” the boy said as he turned to run back inside.   
The father could see a figure at the bottom of the shallow pool, but the red cloud and dancing firelight reflecting off the shimmering surface of the water made it hard to discern exactly what the figure was. He was weary about reaching his hand into the pool without knowing what he was grabbing for.   
“Here!” Maeru shouted as he ran from the house with a lantern in one hand and a shepherd’s crook in the other. The father took the long, hooked cane from his son and told him to hold the lantern over the pool. He gently lowered the crook into the water, hooking the curved end around what he could only imagine to be an arm of this odd creature, catching it right under the shoulder. He pulled the figure to the surface, shocked to see a strikingly humanoid face and torso break the surface of the water. The creature was unresponsive, even at his less than gentle tugging, and he immediately noticed why. Three gaping wounds riddled her torso, One in the upper chest and two lower on the abdomen.   
“Maeru, Go get the first aid kit,” his father ordered. “Quickly, and Harani, go inside.”  
“But-“ the young girl protested.   
“No, go inside,” the father told her again. Harani reluctantly ran back up to the house and slipped inside as her brother came running out with a box of medical supplies. The father hauled the rest of the creature up onto the shore as Maeru came to a skidding halt next to him. They both gasped. It seems Harani was right, for the lower half of the creature resembled that of a fish. Blood colored the silver scales as another bullet wound became visible lower on the creature’s body. “Dear Lord, what happened to this poor thing?” he asked out loud as blood began to slowly run from the open wounds. “Maeru, one last thing. Go drain the water trough and fill it with fresh water. And herd the animals away from it. And get Harani to bring me the water hose.”  
“Yes sir,” Maeru answered, getting up to do as his father asked. After his son left, the man began examining the unconscious creature. He checked for a pulse and found a faint heartbeat, relieved that it was still alive.  
“Here daddy,” Harani said as she pulled on the hose, offering him the nozzle.  
“Thank you,” he said, taking it. “Now go turn the water on and go back inside.” As his daughter left, he took the hose and gently placed it in the creature’s mouth and waited for the water to come on. As soon as saw water falling from the creature’s gills, he started inspecting its wounds. He quickly realized it must be female. She had a narrow waist and broad hips, and a gentle swell under the dark red cloth wrapped around her chest. He turned from the woman for a moment and brought the lantern and the medical supplied to her side, preparing to treat her wounds. He cut away the red cloth binding her chest to gain access to the bullet hole that burned through the fabric. He took antibiotic gel and a sealant solution and rubbed it on a gauze pad to gently place over the wound, then quickly took a bandage roll and wrapped the injury. He repeated with the rest of her wounds, and when he finished he slipped back into the pool with the mermaid in his arms, waiting for word from his son. He now took a moment to examine the woman. She was pale, he assumed from blood loss, but even her hair was white as snow and her silver tail was pale as moonlight. He sighed. He was no doctor. He wasn’t sure she would survive, but he had done all he could. He hoped it would be enough.  
“Dad. The trough’s ready,” Maeru said wearily from around the corner of the house. He crept to the brink of the pool, kneeling over the edge of the water. “What is it?” the boy asked.   
“I don’t know. But she’s in pretty bad shape,” the father answered as he gently lifted the woman from the water. He quickly made is way around to the back of his home and to the gate of their small, fenced pasture. The creature’s long, iridescent tailfin almost dragged along the dirt and Maeru watched it in wonder as it shimmered and sparkled with every move. Its silver scales glistened in the moonlight. The man reached the deserted water trough and lowered the mermaid down into the water. The end of her tailfin still peaked over the edge of the metal tank, but the Twi’lek assumed she would be safe here.   
“Alright,” the man said. “Let’s get to bed… There’s nothing more we can do, let’s just let her rest and get some of our own.” Father and son made their way back to their warm home and extinguished the lanterns around the house. Their father tucked both of his children into bed, and climbed into his own. The old wooden bedframe creaked under his weight, and the straw mattress gently poked at him, but the only think keeping his mind awake was the woman sleeping unconscious in his livestock’s water trough.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading! I hope you enjoyed. Please leave a comment, and keep a lookout for the next chapter!


	3. Chapter 3

Fei Tahn woke up in pain. She lifted her hand to shield her eyes from the blinding sunlight filtering through the shallow water. She groaned, disoriented and confused by her surroundings, then gasped in shock as something thrust itself into the water above her. She shrieked as she pushed herself up against the hard walls of her confine to put distance between herself and the intruder. Immediately, she winced and gave a cry of pain at the movement, and with all the commotion, the foreign thing retreated from her small personal space. She took a moment to catch her breath and steady her pounding heart after the scare, and as soon as the adrenaline faded from her system, she sunk to the bottom of her tank, exhausted, weak, and in terrible pain. But she needed to find out where she was. If she was in danger. What to do. She finally took in her surroundings.   
She was in a metal tub, only about three feet deep and not even so long to fit her entire length, as the end of her tailfin spilled over the brim of her tank if she stretched out. Next, she slowly and reluctantly brought her face up toward the surface of the water, taking in a deep breath before pushing herself up into the air to peek out above the water. She glanced around nervously and noticed a familiar face. The long muzzle of a domestic animal that had innocently gone for a drink without an awareness of the woman sleeping in his water trough. She smiled, not sensing a threat from him, then turned her attention to the small house nestled snuggly between a steep cliff side and the ocean shore, protected under a canopy of palm trees. Again, she sensed no malice, after all, whoever lived in that house had perhaps saved her life, so she finally turned to herself.  
Her wounds were covered, bound in tight cloth, but still she was in great pain. She could feel every hole where a bullet burned through. Four wounds. How was she alive?... She didn’t remember. The last thing she felt was impact, but she did remember she fought for her life. It was ugly and terrible and painful, and she didn’t think she’d make it, but she woke up victorious, with a bit of outside help she could only assume. She sunk back to the bottom of the trough with a sigh. She tasted no blood in the water, but still she was in great pain.  
Then, a new face appeared over her, this one dark blue and extraordinarily human, peering down at her from above the water. “Dad!” the small being called out then disappeared from view.   
Fei frantically pulled herself to the surface and over the edge of her water trough to catch a glimpse of the child running back to the house, and was surprised to find that the boy was a young Twi’lek. “Well at least they’re not savages,” she said thankfully to herself, so she sank back under the water and waited. There was nothing she could do. She could only guess she was too weak to sustain the transformation back into terrestrial form, and even if she could, there was no way she would be able to walk, let alone run. Judging from the placement of the blaster wound on her tail, the muscle and bone of her upper thigh were probably severely damaged. So she sat and she waited.   
Only a matter of seconds passed before another Twi’lek was leaning over her temporary bed, but this one was a man. Again, he was a dark shade of blue, but this one towered over the water trough. Fei carefully pulled herself to the surface so as not to raise alarm in the man. She broke the surface of the water and said softly “Hello.”  
A nervous, but genuine smile made its way onto his face. “Well, hello there,” he said. “I’m glad to see you alive and well… I was beginning to worry.”  
“Are you the ones that cared for me?” Fei asked, then ducked back under for another breath. Only the top half of her head peeked above the surface.  
“Well, we only found you. My daughter, actually. I just patched you up and put you in here… Are you feeling okay?” he asked.   
Fei gave a small smile, but before she could answer, her stomach let out a growl loud enough for the man to hear from above. “Oh. Wow,” she exclaimed, reaching for her stomach.  
“Hungry? Doesn’t surprise me. You’ve been out for two days straight.”  
Fei gawked for a moment. Two days? Then a wall of shivers hit her and she froze. “Two days?! What about Rex and Ahsoka? Daz? Did they make it? Did they call for aid? Did they make it off the planet?” she asked herself frantically, spiraling into panic. “Oh God, everybody probably thinks I’m dead.”  
“Woah, hey are you okay?” the twi’lek asked, immediately noticing the shocked expression on the woman’s face. “Hey,” he snapped at her. Fei blinked a few times and shook her head.  
“Oh… Sorry. It’s just… I wasn’t alone… before.”  
“… Wh-“  
“I’m sure they made it. I did my part. That’s why I’m here,” Fei said, mostly to reassure herself.  
“… What are you talking about? What happened to you?” the twi’lek asked.  
“My ship crash landed here… three days ago I guess. Well, actually, it was shot down. By a separatist fleet. I tried to buy some time for the rest of my crew to escape… but I don’t actually know if they got away… And honestly, I didn’t expect to make it,” she said.   
“So… You’re with the republic?” the man asked.  
“Yeah… Jedi,” Fei answered. “Fei Tahn at your service.”  
“Hm! A Jedi knight! What an honor,” the man exclaimed. “My name is Tcheru. Welcome to my humble abode… I’m sure your friends made it just fine. Nobody else washed up after you. The ocean currents are pretty strong in these isles. If they’d gone in the water anywhere near where you did, they would have ended up here too.” He paused, not seeing much improvement in Fei’s mood. “… How about some food. Hm?”  
Fei sighed. “…That sounds great.”  
“Alright, shall I bring it out here? Hard to imagine a Jedi without legs though,” Tcheru said with a smile.   
“Well, about that, I can form legs when I want to. Nifty thing. Don’t know if I want to try it right now though,” she smiled in return.  
“Oh, but of course,” he said with a smile. “I’ll be right back,” the man said as he turned to head back to the house.  
Fei sunk back below the surface, silently despairing. “What ifs” and “should haves” kept popping up in her mind, but finally she just had to remind herself that what had happened had happened, and there was nothing she could do to change the past or control her friends’ futures. She could only focus on the here and now and hope that they’d made it. She’d take the time to heal, then find a way off the planet as soon as she could. She sighed, and again gasped in pain as her wounded chest expanded and collapsed, but was at least thankful that she was safe.   
Only a minute or two passed before Tcheru returned with two plates loaded with bread, cheese and assorted fruits, nuts and vegetables. “That’s a lot of food,” Fei called as he neared, but a surprised smile made its way onto her face as two young faces peeked out from behind the taller twi’lek. “Oh, but maybe it will be just enough.” The smaller of the two children hid back behind her father’s legs, but the taller stepped out and ran up to the edge of Fei’s water trough. “Well, hello there,” Fei said. “I remember you,” she said, recognizing the midnight blue boy that she’d startled earlier.   
“Yes ma’am. My name’s Maeru,” said politely, introducing himself.  
“It’s a pleasure to meet you,” Fei said with a smile on her face. “My name is Fei Tahn… And what do we have here?” she asked playfully, catching the smallest twi’lek’s eye before she dodged back behind her father.  
“Come on Harani,” Tcheru coaxed his daughter out from behind him. “Say hello.”  
“H-hello,” the little violet twi’lek stuttered. “My name’s Harani. It’s nice to meet you.”  
Fei smiled. “It’s nice to meet you too.”  
“Alright, now who’s ready for a picnic?” Tcheru announced, spreading out a rough, woven blanket and setting their lunch in the center.   
“Me!” the three others called in unison as the two children sat down on the blanket and began eating. Tcheru passed a plate over to Fei and she ate with them, leaned up against the side of her make-shift bed. They talked as they ate, and thoroughly enjoyed their day. The sun was shining and the salty ocean breeze was cool across their skin and Fei was able to forget her pain and her worries in this peaceful, happy moment.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for reading, and I hope you've enjoyed this journey as much as I have. But it's not over yet! Please leave a comment, and keep a lookout for the next chapter.


	4. Chapter 4

Fei was quick on the recovery. Her kind could heal themselves remarkably fast. It wasn’t even a week before she was up on her feet again, stumbling around with Maeru and Harani under her arms as crutches. They had fun, played games, ate good food. She fascinated the young Twi’leks with her silver tail, the scales giving off a subtle iridescent shine, displaying the faint colors of a rainbow if the sun struck her at a particular angle. Fei took it upon herself to teach Harani how to swim and took on some of the roles in the home. Maeru helped her make a palm leaf hammock to hang up in the children’s room, where she spent her nights for the while that she was stranded with the kind Twi’lek family.  
Fei smiled as she cooked dinner with Tcheru. She laughed when she played catch and swam around the tide pools, and even as she hauled the teeming nets of fish with Maeru, and learned to sail with the young boy. She scaled trees to pick fruit and tended to the herd animals and enjoyed every moment of it, but she knew she needed to return to battle. She just didn’t know how she would go about doing it. Her wounds had finally healed. She knew she needed to head out. Maybe she could beg Tcheru to let her borrow a canoe, but she knew he would probably never see it again. Maybe she could go on foot, and it would perhaps be easiest to just swim. Maybe Rex had made it out and there was fighting elsewhere on the planet and she could regroup with another fleet. But she felt reluctant to leave. She liked it here.  
…  
“It was a blanket, so soft, so beautiful as to be fit for a prince,” Fei read in a soft voice, glancing up from the pages to look into the two pairs of eyes focused intensely on her. “The young woman knew this was no ordinary blanket. She placed it with love and wonderment around her sleeping baby. And went to sleep herself with her hand upon the little spider’s last spinning. Sophie’s masterpiece. The end,” she finished, closing the book gently.**  
“I love that book,” Harani said, getting up to give Fei a goodnight hug.  
“Me too,” Fei said, returning the hug.  
“But it’s kinda sad,” Maeru said, getting up for a hug as well.   
“Well, yes, but it’s still a beautiful story.” Fei finished her round of goodnight hugs and returned to her hammock as Tcheru blew out the lantern. Darkness engulfed the room, but soon Fei’s eyes adjusted to see the pale moonlight filtering through the window. She heard the ocean breeze rustling the palms, and she could feel it gently across her skin as it passed through the windows and narrow cracks of the old wooden house. It reminded her of her home world…  
She was healed. Tomorrow she would leave. The decision left her restless that night, but she knew it was for the best.  
…  
Fei watched as the sun dawned on the next day. She loved seeing the sun peaking above the distant ocean waves, and the colors painted along the horizon and beyond, the vibrant rays touching the clouds that swept gently across the furthest edge of the atmosphere.  
She did not want to go.  
Tcheru called her in for breakfast, drawing the Jedi away from her thoughts. Fei was happy to eat with the family; the food was always good, but the Twi’leks all noticed something was not right with their new friend.  
“Fei?” Harani started to ask. “Are you okay? You look kinda sad.”  
Fei smiled sadly. “Sharp eyes,” she said. “On the three of you.” She sighed. “I’m afraid I must return to my duties.”  
Tcheru acknowledged her with a nod. He knew this day would come; he was simply glad that he’d been able to shelter her and aid in her recovery. His children; however, did not understand. They did not want her to leave.   
“What? What does that mean?” Maeru asked.  
“Well, I have to leave. I have to return to the war,” Fei answered gently.  
“Why?” Harani complained. “Why can’t you just stay here with us?”  
“This is not my home,” Fei said. “And as much as I would love for it to be, it is my duty to defend it as yours. I have been called to bring the peace that you have here to peoples all across the galaxy.”  
Harani looked as though she were about to cry.   
“Can’t you stay a little longer?” Maeru pleaded.  
“I must leave today,” Fei said sadly. “I have friends… family, who are probably worried sick about me; maybe even thinking that I’m dead. I must return, but I would be pleased to help you with your morning chores one last time,” she finished with a smile.  
Breakfast was finished quietly, a sad change from the joyful conversation they usually have. Fei helped Tcheru clean the kitchen while the children rushed to get dressed.   
“You know,” Tcheru started, as he started washing the breakfast pan. “It’s really been wonderful having you stay in our home. I’m glad you washed up on our shores, as opposed to anywhere else… But I knew this day would come. Thank you for being so good to my children. I don’t believe I’ve ever seen them so happy as I did these past few weeks. But it’s been a while since I’ve seen them so sad as they are today.”  
Fei’s small smile faded. “I’m sorry-“ she started.  
“No, I did not mean that negatively,” Tcheru corrected himself, smacking himself mentally for mentioning that. “What I meant is that you’ve made an impact on them, and you’ve been a blessing to this family. Thank you.”  
Fei chuckled, placing her drying rag on the wooden counter top. “If anyone owes a thanks, it’s me,” she said. “You saved my life. You sheltered and fed me while I healed. I’m glad I made these past few weeks joyful, but they’ve also been a joy to me. I’ve almost forgotten what peace feels like. What living is supposed to feel like, and I thank you for it.” She laughed again as Harani and Maeru came running back into the kitchen. “I really wish I didn’t have to go,” she said quietly before heading out with the two young Twi’leks to do their morning chores.   
The three of them stood knee deep in the shallows, hauling in the morning’s traps, hoping for a crab or two in at least one of the cages.   
“… I don’t want you to go…” Harani cried, dropping her rope and running to hug Fei around the waist.   
“Hey!” Maeru shouted, reaching for the line she’d dropped. He grumbled as he towed both catches up to shore.  
“I know, Harani, and I’m so sorry. But I must go,” Fei said, regret evident in her voice as she hugged the small girl in return. “You and your brother and father have treated me like family. But this is not my home. This is not my life,” she said, looking toward Maeru as he came trudging through the water to hug Fei as well.  
“Perhaps one day I can come back, even just to visit, but for that, we must win the war. Or finish it at least, but for now, I must go.”  
“I’m going to miss you so much,” Harani sobbed.  
“I know, I know,” Fei said, tears pooling in the corners of her eyes, threatening to spill over. Maeru dug his face into her shirt, trying to keep a tough face on, but Fei could see his bottom lip quivering. “I’m so sorry,” she hugged them both tightly. “I love you both so much.”  
“I love you too,” the siblings said in unison, refusing to let go. Fei smiled as a tear slipped down her cheek.   
She drew back away from them suddenly, ears perked up in alarm. She thought she heard something. Something familiar. Something horrible, especially here and now.   
“Fei?” Harani looked up questioningly.   
Fei put her finger to her lips. “… I heard something,” she waited a moment more, and heard it again. “No,” she whispered.  
“What is it?” Maeru asked.   
“Gunfire.”  
Tcheru jumped as his front door was slammed open. “Hey!” he was about to start scolding. He stopped when he saw the frightened looks on his kids’ faces and Fei rush in behind them, ushering them forward. “What’s wrong?” he asked.   
“Blaster fire,” Fei answered. “It’s distant, but I don’t know whose it is. Do you have any weapons?”  
Tcheru was shocked silent for a moment. This couldn’t happen. This had never happened before.  
“Hey,” Fei tried to reassure him. “I’ll make sure you and your kids are safe. Is there anywhere you can go to hide?”  
“… The barn. There’s underground storage in the barn. We can hide there,” he said, coming to his senses.   
“Good, you need to get down there,” Fei ordered. “Do you have any weapons?” she repeated.   
“Y-yes, I mean, the most I have is a couple of fishing spears and a hunting knife.”  
“Okay, I’ll take a spear and the knife,” she said, following Tcheru to a broom closet, where he pulled out a spear, handing it to the Jedi.   
“Kids, grab some water, and a lantern and head up to the barn. Now,” he ordered as he pulled the hunting blade from his bedside table.   
Harani and Maeru rushed to get the supplies and ran out and across their pasture up to the barn as fast as they could. Maeru pulled up the floor hatch and helped his little sister down into the hole, and followed her down. Fei ran with Tcheru, following the children across the grassland.   
“Okay,” Fei started when they reached the underground entrance, placing a hand on Tcheru’s arm before he could descend. “Do not come out until I come get you, even if you don’t hear anything outside. Do you understand?” she asked.  
“But what if you don’t come back?” he asked.  
“…” Fei couldn’t answer for a moment. If there really was fighting, and if it was who she feared, she couldn’t face the fact that she might not succeed. That she might not be able to save this family.  
“I will come back.” She stated firmly, and left before doubts had time to surface.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **“Sophie’s Masterpiece” by Eileen Spinelli. It’s a really sweet children’s book. 
> 
> Thank you for reading, and I hope you're enjoying it! We've got one more chapter to go, but please let me know what you think. I'd love to hear it!


	5. Chapter 5

Fei Tahn ran, spear in one hand and blade in the other, up the narrow trail to the top of the tall sea cliffs. She reached the top and her stomach dropped. The republic and the separatists were clashed in battle not a half-mile away. The sounds of the sea and the direction of the wind had hidden their approach. She was glad to see republic starships high in the atmosphere, but she noticed that the battle was moving in her direction. Fast. The separatists were losing, being pushed back toward the cliffs by the republic forces. A sound strategy, but with apparently overlooked collateral damage.   
She ran. She ran as fast as her legs could carry her, screaming all the way for her forces to drive the enemy in a different direction. She knew it was useless. They couldn’t hear her, but she screamed anyways. A shockwave suddenly shook the atmosphere above her. A separatist ship dropped from light speed directly into the atmosphere. Fei came to a stop. ‘No.’ Her bare feet dug into the dirt. Fighters poured from the flight decks and tanks and troops were dropped to the ground just ahead of her. The infamous General Grievous at its lead.   
She wanted to laugh and scream at the same time.  
…  
“Uh, General?” a clone trooper’s voice came on over the com channel.   
“Yes, trooper,” Kenobi answered, lifting the back of his wrist to his face to speak in the midst of battle.   
“I’ve spotted someone running toward the battle from behind enemy lines. I think it’s a civilian- Oh! Enemy reinforcements incoming!” the trooper shouted.   
“Damn!” Obi-wan cursed. “Get a fighter down there and evacuate the civilian, and see if there are any more.”  
“Yes s-“ the com relayed before the connection went to static.  
“Shot down,” Anakin spat. He, and his padawan behind him fought angrily. The loss of their dear friend fueling an anger that made them ruthless on the battle field.   
“Get a man down there!” Obi-wan called out over the coms. “We’ve got a possible civilian behind the enemy.”  
…  
Fei ran back to the edge of the cliff. ‘What was I thinking?!’ she screamed to herself. ‘Rushing into battle against blasters with a fishing spear and a knife?!’ She ran back down the trail and to the barn and knocked on the wooden hatch. “It’s me!” she called out. “It’s Fei!”  
“Fei,” Tcheru answered, peaking up at her. “What’s going on?”  
“War,” she stated. “The republic answered our call for help, but separatist reinforcements just arrived, and the battle is headed this way. I need to get you out of here… uh… do you have a boat? Big enough for the three of you? You need to get out of here.”  
“Yes,” the man said, lifting the hatch all the way open. “Yes. Maeru, Harani, come!”  
“I’ll grab you some supplies. You three head to the boat and get it out on the water. Go, and don’t look back,” Fei ordered.  
The Twi’leks rushed to haul their small sail boat past the shallows while Fei rushed to their house. The sounds of battle continued to grow.   
“Hurry. Come, we’re almost there,” Tcheru said softly to his children, trying to comfort and calm them, as well as himself.   
Fei ran to them just as Tcheru pushed off the ledge of the furthest tide pool, and out into the deep. “Here!” she shouted, reaching to put her basket full of food and water onto the sea canoe’s platform. “I’ll come find you!” she shouted as she turned back to the shore.  
“What are you doing?!” Tcheru shouted.  
“No! Maeru cried. “You have to come with us!”  
“I can’t,” Fei turned back to face them with a smile. “I’ll try to save your home. And, General Grievous has a date with revenge.”  
“Dad! No!” Maeru said, but he was ignored.  
“We’re headed due east. There’s another group of islands about 10 kilometers out. We had better meet again!” Tcheru called out.  
“Of course,” Fei returned with a smile, then ran back to the top of the cliffs, weapons in hand. By the time she reached the base, the separatist forces were already retreating down the sloped trail, their backs turned and Grievous leading the withdrawal from the rear. She sprinted forward and thrust her spear head into a battle droid, felling the machine easily and taking its blaster, and was firing blindly into the army of droids before Grievous could react.  
Grievous turned in surprise, drawing his light blades to block the hot bolts by reflex. “Impossible!” he exclaimed. “You’re supposed to be dead!”  
“Improbable,” Fei corrected, a note of mockery and amusement in her voice.  
Grievous just snarled as he lunged toward her, sabers in hand. Fei rolled gracefully to the right at the last moment, allowing just a fraction of a second to nick her twin sabers from the general’s hip. She ignited the lightsabers and aggressively went on the offensive, immediately driving Grievous to go on the defensive, reversing the roles of their last encounter. She swung her blades of green light with the intent to kill, done with her stalling and distracting. The android general could only keep up with her furious blows. He growled as he was forced toward the cliff wall, running out of space to retreat. Their sabers clashed, the pair pressed against one another, face to face, blade to blade. “How did you survive?” Grievous asked angrily.  
“Do you know how many times you’ve tried to kill me, and I, you? How many times we’ve battled near to the death? Sweetheart,” she said mockingly, but with a coy smile. She clicked her tongue. “It’s just not meant to be.”  
“Stop mocking me! Your toying… it’s childish,” Grievous hissed, shoving his foe backward and reaching for a second pair of sabers with his extra arms. “You won’t be laughing when this ends the same way our last encounter did.”  
“Oh I don’t know,” Fei said playfully, angering the general even further. “I mean, I’d still be alive, and frankly, quite well.” Grievous almost shrieked as he charged the Jedi.  
“You are INSUFFERABLE!” Even with four blades, the general couldn’t lay a finger on the Jedi Knight. His rage was near blinding, an anger that continued to grow as the lithe woman simply danced before him; dodging and parrying; bobbing and weaving. She slipped around him, between his blades, between his legs. ‘HOW?!’ He was in such a fury that he didn’t notice his army being torn down around him as republic fighters aided the woman they’d thought a defenseless civilian and mowed down droids. Clone troopers forced the war machines over the sides of the cliff and to their deaths below.   
It was a voice over the general’s wrist com that cooled his anger.   
“Sir, we are overwhelmed,” a monotone voice hummed over the com channel. “The vanguard fleet has been demolished. Reinforcements are being shot down. I suggest retreat.”  
“Send a gunship down for me,” he ordered, clearing his head.   
“Running away again?” Fei taunted. “Coward?”  
Grievous remained silent this time, only narrowing his eyes in muted anger before lunging forward again. He came to clash against the Jedi, and their swordplay continued. Fei was a master of the blade, wielding her sabers with a skill that few other Jedi could match, and in a one-on-one battle, Grievous felt himself being forced into a corner. He cursed under his breath as every swing of his blade was met with one of hers, and unlike last time, she was not tiring or weakening in any way. He was finally saved by his gunship, the heavy blaster fire forcing Fei to defend herself on two fronts. “So long, General Fei Tahn,” Grievous smirked. “Until next time.” He saw an opening in her distracted defenses and kicked her in the stomach. The blow sent the woman tumbling down into the sand, a cough forced from her body as the wind was knocked from her lungs. Grievous took that moment to leap up into the air, grasping a tight hold onto the short wing of the small fighter and scrambling into the open cockpit. He sped off before the space shield had even closed around him, tailed closely by two firing republic fighters.   
Fei rolled over onto her stomach and sat up on her knees, brushing the sand off of her. Droids lay around her; dead. A few remained around her, all with their weapons aimed high toward the tops of the cliffs, where clone troopers fired in return. They were easy enough to dismantle with the Force. She slowly came to a stand and brushed the sand from her knees. Then a voice from above called down to her.  
“General Tahn?” a trooper called down to her, more in shock than as an address.   
“Yes sir,” she saluted with a smile on her face.   
“Fei?” she heard Anakin shout. “Is that Fei Tahn?!” Said Jedi smiled even wider as she saw the young man lean over the edge to stare at her.   
Ahsoka screamed in joy when she saw her lost friend’s face. “You’re alive!”  
“And well!” Fei shouted back up.   
Obi-wan and Rex joined the two on their downhill race to embrace a friend they’d all thought dead. Ahsoka reached her first, sobbing as she tackled Fei to the sand in a tight hug. “I thought you were dead!” she cried.  
Fei laughed. “So did I! I’m so sorry I hurt you, but I see you finished the mission. I’m proud of you.”  
Skywalker smiled as he pulled the Jedi master and his padawan back up to their feet. He felt almost as though he were about to cry for joy. “Master,” he smiled sincerely, and embraced her. Obi-wan almost broke his composure as he came to a halt in the sand alongside Rex.   
“Fei,” he said, placing a hand gently on her shoulder. “I’ve never been so happy to see you.”  
Fei smiled in return, then turned to her captain.  
“Sir,” Rex saluted, the joy on his face hidden from his general by his helmet.  
“Oh, loosen up!” Fei laughed. “I just came back from the dead,” she said as she hugged him, overjoyed to see her friend; proud that he not only survived, but succeeded in bringing the wrath of Kenobi’s fleet down upon Grievous.  
“Words cannot express how grateful I am, sir,” he said sincerely, returning her hug.  
Fei Tahn smiled, surrounded by her closest friends, but she quickly remembered that there were a few people sailing out to open ocean and the smile quickly fell from her face.  
“What’s the matter, sir?” Rex asked as she pulled away.  
“Oh, I just remembered that I need to go fetch some friends I left in the middle of the ocean,” she said as she ran down to the shore. “I’ll be back soon!” she called out, wading past the shallows. She slipped her pants off when the water rose above her waist, and threw them back to shore. “Hang on to those for me!” she shouted, then disappearing beneath the waves with a splash, a tail sparkling with silver scales propelling her dive.   
Rex quickly scooped Fei’s canvas pants up from the sand and shook them out. He was still speechless as he folded the pants up and held them for his general.  
After a moment of silence, Obi-wan laughed out loud, startling the quiet group. “I don’t believe it,” he said with a chuckle still in his voice. “Same old Fei Tahn. Astonishingly energetic, ever positive, and alive and well.”  
…  
Fei quickly reached the family of three on their small boat. They hadn’t gotten too far, and her powerful tail gifted her with speed.   
Harani was first to spot a white splash of water in the distance. She could’ve sworn she saw a giant fish fin slip back into the water just as she turned her head toward the sound. “Daddy?” she asked.  
“What is it Harani?” he asked kindly, still putting on a show for his young children.   
“I just saw something out in the water,” she answered. Tcheru stopped and turned toward the direction his daughter was pointing. He saw nothing for a moment, and was about to dismiss it as a fish, when a head popped up out of the water next to their canoe. Harani and Maeru, both leaning over the edge to get what they hoped would be a better view, leapt back with a scream of terror as Fei Tahn’s smiling face broke the surface of the water.  
“Fei!” they both shouted after recognizing their friend. The family of three all leaned over the edge to see their dear friend.   
“What happened?”  
“Are you okay?”  
“Did you win?”  
“Is our beach okay?” Fei was bombarded with eager questions, the chatter not pausing to give the Jedi a chance to answer.   
“Slow down, slow down,” Fei laughed. “I’m fine. Your home is fine. Everything is fine. The beach might be covered in scrap metal, but I’m sure we can haul all that off for good use elsewhere.”  
The family cheered at the news. “Does that mean we can go back home?” Maeru asked.  
“Of course!” Fei answered cheerfully. “That’s why I came out to find you! Follow me back and we’ll be home in no time.”  
…  
The clones down on the beach busied themselves with collecting scraps of droids for melt-down. They talked casually as they worked about different things; but they could all agree on their relief that the general’s mood had improved. News of Fei Tahn’s return spread like wildfire, and the joy the news brought spread alongside it.   
“I know captain Rex and his men were pretty torn up about it,” a pair of troopers talked as they walked the length of the beach. “I’ve personally never met General Tahn, but I’ve heard the most incredible things from the men who served under her command. I know Cody speaks very highly of her; she leads in much the way General Skywalker does, supposedly.”  
“Hey,” his partner interrupted, his gaze turned toward the sea. “Do you see that out there?” he pointed toward the horizon.  
“Hello! Hey!” they heard the distant calls on the wind.   
“What in the world?” one clone asked the other.  
“Whatever it is, it seems friendly… And not hostile,” he pointed out, put a hand on the other’s rifle to lower it. “Hello there!” he shouted back.  
“Hey!” a much closer voice suddenly called to them. Both troopers jumped in surprise as they turned to see a silver head pop out of the water to greet them.   
“G-general Tahn?” one of the clones stuttered, barely recognizing to woman he’d only seen over holotransmition.   
“The one and only,” she said as the pair ran over to her. “Those out there calling to you are the family that live on this beach,” she said, pointing to the wooden house pushed up against the sea cliffs. She pulled herself up into the shallows, digging her palms into the sand to keep the waves from washing her up on shore. “Would you be so kind as to help them when they arrive?” she asked.  
“Yes, sir,” they both saluted.  
“And can one of you go find captain Rex? He has something I need.”  
“Of course, sir,” one trooper answered, rushing off toward camp, taking into his wrist communicator.   
…  
Soon, Fei Tahn was standing in the twi’leks’ door frame on two legs and borrowed pants, ready to take her leave.   
“We owe you our lives,” Tcheru said, hugging the woman tightly, not knowing how to show his gratitude. “There is no thanks that I can give that could possibly repay you.”   
“Tcheru,” Fei started with a smile. “Your family took me in. Fed me. Clothed me. Treated me as one of your own. I’d say we’re even.”  
Tcheru just answered with a smile as Maeru and Harani ducked between his legs with a couple of sacks full of gifts for their farewell. It was mostly food; tropical fruits and nuts, and seashells, but both had added a toy from their collections.  
“To remember us by,” Harani said with tears in her eyes.  
“Don’t cry,” Fei said as she kneeled down and hugged them both. “I could never forget you. You made me a part of your family; so I will come back to visit when I can, and bring you gifts and foods and other things from distant stars and worlds,” she said, releasing the kids from her embrace. “I’m going to miss you, but be good while I’m gone!” She kissed them each on the cheek and gave a wide smile as she turned and ran across the sand to her gunship, hopping aboard to join her men and stand at Rex’s side.   
“Good bye!” she shouted her farewell, waving slowly with one hand. The gunship lifted off the ground with a growl of the engines, sending sand spinning up into the air. Fei watched the small family grow smaller and smaller as they shot up toward the top of the atmosphere.  
“They’re good people,” Rex said, noticing that despite the smile Fei still had on her face, she was a little bit sad. “I’m thankful that they’re the ones who found you.”  
“Me too,” Fei said. “… But I’m glad to be back. And I’m proud of you.”  
“Thank you, sir,” Rex said. “You would not believe how glad I am to have you back.”  
“Oh I know,” Fei said sarcastically, placing a hand on her cocked hip and brushing her hair out behind her very dramatically. “You just can’t live without me.”  
Rex chuckled under his helmet, and Fei joined him.   
“It’s good to hear you laugh,” Fei said. “So let’s hurry up and finish this war.”  
“Yes general,” Rex agreed. “I look forward to it.”  
And so the gunship raced up to Fei’s fleet and was welcomed into the massive cruiser. Fei turned to look at the blue planet from the flight deck. She would return. It was a beautiful planet, but was ripped away in strokes of white light as the cruiser made the jump to hyperspace, returning to Coruscant to rejoin the war.  
[Que Star Wars theme and roll the credits]

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So that's it for this work. I hope you enjoyed it! Please do leave a comment and let me know how you liked it, or what you didn't like about it. Criticism is important too. Thanks! and see you in the next story!


End file.
